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BC Conservatives propose bridge to fund new women’s hospital

Party says replacing George Massey Tunnel with a bridge would save $2.5 billion for hospital construction.

Sources: Quesnel Cariboo Observer, Fort St. John North Peace News, Daily Hive3 sources ↓|· 1 min read

KEY POINTS

  • BC Conservatives want a 10-lane George Massey Bridge instead of the planned tunnel
  • Party says bridge savings of $2.5 billion would fund a new women’s and children’s hospital in Surrey
  • Tunnel project cost rose from $4.15 billion to $8.5 billion; completion moved to September 2031
  • Bridge would cost $6 billion and take five years, according to Doerkson

BC Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson said building a 10-lane George Massey Bridge would replace the aging George Massey Tunnel and save $2.5 billion compared with the tunnel project.

The savings would fund a new women’s and children’s hospital in Surrey south of the Fraser River, while the Surrey Hospital in Cloverdale is already under construction and set to open in early 2030.

“It was time to “cut bait”.”

— Lorne Doerkson

The NDP government announced the Fraser River Tunnel Project in August 2021 as a toll-free eight-lane immersed-tube tunnel with transit lanes and a multi-use path.

The tunnel’s cost was updated in July 2026 from $4.15 billion to $8.5 billion, and its completion date moved from late 2030 to September 2031.

Doerkson said the bridge would cost $6 billion, take five years to build, and be more affordable and quicker to complete.

The party did not explain how it reached the budget and timeline figures, though a spokesperson said they came from speaking with construction experts and those involved with the original proposal.

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